OTHER FTA Noob: Having Problems Adding a Satellite to the Freesat V7

Mr. Sheep

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Aug 6, 2018
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United States
I'm trying to add SES 2 to my Freesat v7 for Ku FTA and I'm having some issues. It says I need to pick a LNB Frequency when I add it in. There's also a menu for transponders. Do I need to add in the transponders before I do a blind scan or not? Should I even do a blind scan at all or should I do a full scan?

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I'm trying to add SES 2 to my Freesat v7 for Ku FTA and I'm having some issues. It says I need to pick a LNB Frequency when I add it in. There's also a menu for transponders. Do I need to add in the transponders before I do a blind scan or not? Should I even do a blind scan at all or should I do a full scan?

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Forgot to add this to the post but since I'm on mobile, I can't edit posts. Which frequency do I pick? The input freq or the output? It's measured in MHz on the V7.

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What type of KU LNBF on your dish? Universal type with LO frequency of 9750/10600 or a Standard LO 10750? This is the frequency that you add when setting up each satellite. This is the LNB Local Oscillation frequency and has nothing to do with the satellite transponder frequencies.

Once you add the LNB LO frequency, If you are aimed at SES2, blind scan for transponders. If you still need to aim for the satellite, add an active transponder to the blank SES2 list and search and optimize for the satellite, then blind scan.
 
What type of KU LNBF on your dish? Universal type with LO frequency of 9750/10600 or a Standard LO 10750?

Once you add the LNB LO frequency, If you are aimed at SES2, blind scan for transponders. If you still need to aim for the satellite, add an active transponder to the blank SES2 list and search and optimize for the satellite, then blind scan.
It's universal and I added 9750/10600 and did a blind scan but it's not picking up any tps at all and I have no idea why. There's nothing obstructing the way of the dish so I don't even know why this is happening. Even after adding the tps manually it doesn't work. My signal intensity is 60% but the signal quality is 0. I don't know what's wrong with this but I think it might be a faulty receiver.

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For the satellite LNB frequency, select from the type list Universal type 9750/10600 and be sure that the 22KHz switch is set to auto or ON.

Is the LNBF skew rotated to the correct angle for SES2 from your install location?

Is the dish aimed at SES2? If so, how did you confirm that it is EXACTLY aimed? Signal Intensity of 60% means the LNBF is connected. "O" Signal Quality indicates that either the transponder frequency is incorrect, the LNB LO frequency is not correct, the dish is not aimed, or the LNB skew is not at the correct angle.

If you are not absolutely sure and trying to first locate and optimize the dish for SES2, Enter in an active transponder for SES1 like: TP Frequency - 11737 Polarity - Vertical Symbol Rate - 8333
 
Are you positive the dish is aimed and LNBF skewed properly? Have everything set up correctly in the settings?? Verify all of that before saying the receiver is at fault.
Your signal intensity of 60% just lets me know that it is connected to a LNBF. That reading is very misleading and confusing I know for a new guy.
You need to enter a known good transponder for 87W like 11737 V 8333.
Make sure you get quality on that transponder. You can use that to help you aim your dish. Repeat, watch the Quality bar.
 
For the satellite LNB frequency, select from the type list Universal type 9750/10600 and be sure that the 22KHz switch is set to auto or ON.

Is the LNBF skew rotated to the correct angle for SES2 from your install location?

Is the dish aimed at SES2? If so, how did you confirm that it is EXACTLY aimed? Signal Intensity of 60% means the LNBF is connected. "O" Signal Quality indicates that either the transponder frequency is incorrect, the LNB LO frequency is not correct, the dish is not aimed, or the LNB skew is not at the correct angle.

If you are not absolutely sure and trying to first locate and optimize the dish for SES2, Enter in an active transponder for SES1 like: TP Frequency - 11737 Polarity - Vertical Symbol Rate - 8333
I made sure that it was aimed at SES 2 using the Foxsmith Satellite Dish Pointer app. It locks 22KHz to auto when I switch it to 9750-10600. I am sure that it's pointed at SES 2. For some reason it's just not picking up anything from a blind scan. I'm using a Star Com SR-3602 Mini LNBF and a 100 ft SG-6 coax cable. I have no idea what my dish brand or model is but it's 31 inches in diameter.

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A phone app will get you the general area, but is not going to lock you on a satellite. These are not like pointing at something terrestrial. 1/2 inch off can make or break it.
You need to set it up like we said and put a TV and receiver out at the dish and slowly move your dish until you find the satellite.
It is critical that your pole is plumb and your elevation and LNBF skew is set correctly also.
 
So, you aren't aimed at SES2 satellite... Highly unlikely that the dish is aimed at the satellite using a phone app. I have been installing for 30+ years and couldn't do it with just an app.

Is your receiver and TV setting alongside the dish? It doesn't sound like it....

The satellite must be found and then optimized using the signal meter displayed on a TV set-up beside the dish. With the LNBF skew set and the dish elevation roughed in, spot the compass reading referenced with an object on the horizon (tree, chimney, etc.). SLOW sweeping movements are made to approx. 15 degrees on either side of the referenced point on the horizon while watching the Signal Quality reading. If no Signal Quality reading is noted on the meter, increase and/or decrease the elevation only in 1 degree increments and SLOWLY sweep the sky again. Repeat the elevation change and sweeping until the Signal Quality reading registers and is peaked. Then perform a Blind Scan.
 
What makes you think the dish is pointed at the satellite? If the Signal Quality meter reading did not show a signal lock, you will not know if the dish is aimed or not. Very unlikely that you have a defective receiver or a defective LNBF. If this is the first time that you are installing a FTA system, it is probably a menu setting or dish aiming. Very typical for a first-time installer to think that the equipment is defective. The first time is the hardest!

1. What is your zip code? I see in a previous post that you are located somewhere in Michigan.

2. Is the mast PERFECTLY plumb and level? If the mast isn't plumb and level, stamped scales will not be accurate.

3. How are you setting the dish elevation? Are you measuring the angle somewhere on the dish or using the stamped scale on the mount?

4. What is the LNBF skew angle? Standing in front of the dish and looking at the back of the LNBF, is the LNBF rotated clockwise or counterclockwise in the clamp? It should be slightly rotated counterclockwise as SES2 87w is slightly west of Michigan.

5. What is the LNB voltage setting? Should be set to auto or 13/18

6. What is transponder frequency, polarity and the symbol rate that you entered and using to aim?

7. Did you have the TV next to the dish so you can see the meter as SMALL & SLOW dish movements are made? If the TV is in the house, trying to communicate with someone else watching the screen will make the install much more difficult.

Please post up some detailed photos of the front/rear of the dish, close-up of the mount elevation scale, front shot facing the back of the LNBF. Include some screen shoots of the SES2 installation menu. We should be able to assist if we have more information and can verify the dish assembly and angles.
 
I too doubt your receiver is faulty, most likely you're not aimed precisely enough at the satellite. A phone app absolutely won't get you lined up good enough to scan anything in unless you're incredibly lucky.

When KE4EST said being an inch off in alignment can throw you off, he wasn't kidding, I'd actually say he was being too generous there, with a 31" dish, I'd say it's even less.

What Titanuim and KE4EST are telling you is good advice. With a known good transponder programmed into the receiver, take the receiver and a TV right out next to the dish and watch your quality bar as you move your dish and try and get it dialed in.

Don't assume when you set your elevation on your dish that the scale on the side of the dish is correct either. Usually it's close but rarely spot on, sometimes they're way off. A cheap angle meter helps with that.

Your receiver is showing signal, so that means your lnbf is connected and powered up and your receiver is most likely ok, that's all that signal bar is for, it has nothing to do with signal from a satellite. When you actually lock onto a transponder, your quality bar will light up, that's the actual "signal" from the satellite. When you see something in the quality bar, then you are getting something and fine tune your dish settings for best quality reading, then blind scan. Without a good transponder programmed into the receiver, you'll get no activity in the quality bar. You must enter a good transponder into the receiver.

Setting up your first dish is a pain but once you lock onto a satellite you'll understand how precise it has to be and then it becomes much easier. The first dish I setup was a 31" and for a few days I struggled with it until I finally locked onto something, after that, it wasnt bad at all. I had a lot of help from people on here, setting up that first dish.

If you need to double check what your elevation, azimuth and skew settings should be, dishpointer.com is good for that, just enter your zip and the sat you want to aim at.

Good luck, you'll get it!
 
V7 receiver is not that good at tuning I had one, my Amikos are better at tuning. Just take your time. If you need help just ask us.
 
One thing I have noticed about the V7 I have is that if it doesn't get a channel lock when you first turn it on, it won't show any signal quality or lock a channel when you do actually have good signal. You have to reboot it. Makes it totally unreliable for a satellite finder IMHO
 
One thing I have noticed about the V7 I have is that if it doesn't get a channel lock when you first turn it on, it won't show any signal quality or lock a channel when you do actually have good signal. You have to reboot it. Makes it totally unreliable for a satellite finder IMHO
I found the same lock issue when I tried a V7 when we were having an issue receiving channels on 101w a few years back. It was able to get those channels but later kicked on me. The V8 I switched to did it on a few channels but was more reliable until recently. A few weeks back my Stab HH100 stopped moving and I assumed it had failed. I switched back to my Amiko Mini HD SE and the motor works fine so it was the V8. Agree, you can't beat a quality receiver like the Amiko.
 
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One thing I have noticed about the V7 I have is that if it doesn't get a channel lock when you first turn it on, it won't show any signal quality or lock a channel when you do actually have good signal. You have to reboot it. Makes it totally unreliable for a satellite finder IMHO

If the V8 Golden loses signal from the dish, the picture will flash on and off until you do a power cycle. I had one and It took me a while to figure out what happened when the feed line from the dish fell off due to a loose push on connector. If you remember, the V7 had an audio studdering problem with 3 of the channels on Galaxy 19 in the LAFF MUX. Neither of those were very well designed receivers, but what else can you expect for the money? :)

I bought these before I realized they were used for TOS, so they are now keeping my garbage company at the local land fill.
 
Magic Static, Great information! That would certainly explain why Mr. Sheep is unable to lock on the satellite.

Mr. Sheep, my vote would also be for buying an Amiko. Can't go wrong using a quality STB!
Sorry for the late reply. Yeah that seems like that would be it. I probably should order an Amiko.

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